How to mount canoe on truck with bed cover?

Advice
#1

I am changing vehicles from a SUV with roof rack and cross bars to a pickup truck.

In the past I would place my canoe on the cross bars and then tie the bow to the hood hinges, the stern to the hitch, and run a couple straps across the middle to the roof rack.

My new vehicle has a tonneau bed cover. I would love some advice on tying down the canoe on the truck with still having the bed cover available when the truck is parked at the lake.

The bed cover seems to prevent me from simply adding a ladder rack bar to the bed. I can find double purpose units, but I cant find a simple ladder bar that mounts in the stake holder for instance. They all seem to want occupy the same space on the bed rails.

Also what do you stabilize the canoe to side to side on vehicles without roof racks? Open the windows and run a rope through the vehicle?

I could tie into the bed for lateral support and build a support that sits in the bed, or I could install a roof rack, but I wanted top get some opinions on how other do this.

Thanks!

#2

We have a tonneau cover and an Adarac
https://shop.agricover.com/category/adarac?msclkid=ac02bad1d41715133794da6125ac4c81&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ACI%20-%20ADARAC%20-%20Paid%20Search&utm_term=adarac%20truck%20rack&utm_content=Truck%20Bed%20Racks

1 Like
#3

If I am looking at this correctly, the Adarac looks like it goes in the stake pockets but does not completely cover the top of the bed side? That looks perfect! I knew there had to be something out there.

#4

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2 Likes
#5

Looks Great! Thanks for the help.

#6

Never run ropes or straps through a vehicle via the windows. In an emergency it prevents you from exiting the vehicle unless you remove the ropes or straps first.

If you must tie a load to the rood and don’t have a proper rack, run and ropes or straps through the doors, not windows. Not really recommended as car roofs are not designed to be load bearing and may be damaged. It is also difficult to truly secure a load this way.

1 Like
#7

Yes, Thank you for calling that out. Safety first!

That was not a serious suggestion. There are quite a few forces on a boat when zipping down the highway. Securing a canoe is definitely something to do properly.

#8

Thanks for Sharing that. Their 12" towers will be perfect for a canoe rack on a aluminum trailer I am ordering

#9

Thule Goal Post and one bar on the truck roof

#10

The Adarac is great and does not get in the way of the Tonneau, if you have a Tri Fold type. My only complaint on the Adarac is the bar is a bit short. It barely holds two canoes. For long boats, I also have an yakima bar on the front

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#11

your Adarac legs slope in alot We did not choose that model
Ours has straight up and down legs and a 77 inch bar length It could handle two svelte tandems but not two tubby fishing canoes

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#12

I am waiting for my Yakima feet. Backordered till August.
I have a collection of old feet from trucks back to 87 and aargh none are secure We want to use our existing 78 inch bar for over the cab long boats
For now foam blocks sorta work for not too much high speed travel for on the cab support

#13

The deluxe model does not come in black, that why I got the standard, plus I wanted the slotted rails so I can tie down things in the bed with hook end straps.

#14

You may have already set something up by now…but…You could put a single bar rack on the cab, and then add a trailer hitch mounted “T” bar to hold up the back end, leaving the bed untouched.
https://www.google.com/search?q=hitch+mount+canoe+rack